De novo transcriptome analysis of the sandworm (Sipunculus nudus) and identification of differentially expressed genes associated with body size

The sandworm (Sipunculus nudus) is an aquatic species of economic importance because of its high nutritional and medicinal value. Under the same culture conditions, substantial individual growth variation is often found in populations of sandworms. However, the genetic mechanisms of individual growth variation are poorly understood. In this study, the transcriptome of the body wall muscle of the sandworm at different growth rates was analyzed by Illumina sequencing and bioinformatics analysis. A total of 185 181 unigenes were obtained after processing raw reads and about 96,824 (47.72%) of them were annotated. Among the annotated transcripts, 418 differentially expressed genes were identified, of which 207 were upregulated and 211 were downregulated in large worms relative to small worms. We identified several genes that had a possible association with individual growth variation. These results will provide insight into the growth mechanism of sandworm, and will further assist in the selective breeding of improved strains of this species

A duplex real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assay for detecting western equine and eastern equine encephalitis viruses

In order to establish an accurate, ready-to-use assay for simultaneous detection of Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) and Western equine encephalitis virus (WEEV), we developed one duplex TaqMan real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay, which can be used in human and vector surveillance. First, we selected the primers and FAM-labeled TaqMan-probe specific for WEEV from the consensus sequence of NSP3 and the primers and HEX-labeled TaqMan-probe specific for EEEV from the consensus sequence of E3, respectively. Then we constructed and optimized the duplex real-time RT-PCR assay by adjusting the concentrations of primers and probes. Using a series of dilutions of transcripts containing target genes as template, we showed that the sensitivity of the assay reached 1 copy/reaction for EEEV and WEEV, and the performance was linear within the range of at least 10(6 )transcript copies. Moreover, we evaluated the specificity of the duplex system using other encephalitis virus RNA as template, and found no cross-reactivity. Compared with virus isolation, the gold standard, the duplex real time RT-PCR assay we developed was 10-fold more sensitive for both WEEV and EEEV detection

Water vapor estimation based on 1-year data of E-band millimeter wave link in North China

Abstract. The amount of water vapor in the atmosphere is very small, but its content varies greatly in different humidity areas. The change in water vapor will affect the transmission of microwave link signals, and most of the water vapor is concentrated in the lower layer, so the water vapor density can be measured by the change in the near-ground microwave link transmission signal. This study collected 1-year data of the E-band millimeter wave link in Hebei, China, and used a model based on the International Telecommunication Union Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) to estimate the water vapor density. An improved method of extracting the water-vapor-induced attenuation value is also introduced. It has a higher time resolution, and the estimation error is lower than the previous method. In addition, this paper conducts the seasonal analysis of water vapor inversion for the first time. The monthly and seasonal evaluation index results show a high correlation between the retrieved water vapor density and the actual water vapor density value measured by the local weather station. The correlation value for the whole year is up to 0.95, the root mean square error is as low as 0.35 g m−3, and the average relative error is as low as 5.00 %. Compared with European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecast (ECMWF) reanalysis, the correlation of the daily water vapor density estimation of the link has increased by 0.17, the root mean square error has been reduced by 3.14 g m−3, and the mean relative error has been reduced by 34.00 %. This research shows that millimeter wave backhaul link provides high-precision data for the measurement of water vapor density and has a positive effect on future weather forecast research. </jats:p

Research on Rainfall Monitoring Based on E-Band Millimeter Wave Link in East China

Accurate rainfall observation data with high temporal and spatial resolution are essential for national disaster prevention and mitigation as well as climate response decisions. This paper introduces a field experiment using an E-band millimeter-wave link to obtain rainfall rate information in Nanjing city, which is situated in the east of China. The link is 3 km long and operates at 71 and 81 GHz. We first distinguish between the wet and the dry periods, and then determine the classification threshold for calculating attenuation baseline in real time. We correct the influence of the wet antenna attenuation and finally calculate the rainfall rate through the power law relationship between the rainfall rate and the rain-induced attenuation. The experimental results show that the correlation between the rainfall rate retrieved from the 71 GHz link and the rainfall rate measured by the raindrop spectrometer is up to 0.9. The correlation at 81 GHz is up to 0.91. The mean relative errors are all below 5%. By comparing with the rainfall rate measured by the laser raindrop spectrometer set up at the experimental site, we verified the reliability and accuracy of monitoring rainfall using the E-band millimeter-wave link.</jats:p

基于作业成本法的航天物流企业成本研究 = Cost study of logistics enterprises in China aerospace industry by activity based costing

随着国有企业体制改革的不断深化，中国航天工业面临着难得的发展机遇和激烈的市场竞争，人们越来越深刻地认识到成本控制已成为提升企业的竞争力的关键要素。本文以航天某物流企业为例，运用作业成本法对企业主要物资供应服务的成本进行了计算和分析，对企业的关键业务流程进行了优化。通过数据对比分析，系统阐述了作业成本法在航天物流企业的成本归集、企业业务特点的准确反映、真实成本的还原、非增值作业的消除、利润增长点的挖掘以及促进全面质量管理和推进协同供应链体系建设等方面发挥的重要作用。 With the deepening of the reform of state-owned enterprises, China's aerospace industry is facing rare opportunities for development and fierce competition in the market, people are more and more deeply aware of cost control has become a key element to enhance the competitiveness of enterprises. In this paper, the aerospace a logistics company, for example, the use of activity-based costing the corporate material supply services cost calculation and analysis, to optimize the key business processes of the enterprise. By comparison of the data analysis, the system described activity-based costing imputation cost of logistics companies in the aerospace, enterprise business characteristics accurately reflect the real cost reduction, elimination of non-value-added jobs, profit growth of mining and the promotion of a comprehensive quality management and propulsion collaborative supply chain system has played an important role.Master of Science (Managerial Economics

Experimental Investigation of the Dynamic Response of a Sliding Bearing System under Different Oil Pressure Levels

A sliding bearing system performs a critical function in a rotating machinery system and provides support for the rotating components. In this paper, a single-rotor experimental rig and a dual-rotor sliding bearing experimental rig were independently established, and the dynamic response of the test systems are investigated. To study the effect of oil pressure levels on the dynamic response of the test systems under the single-rotor system and the dual-rotor system, the vibration response of single-rotor and dual-rotor systems ware analyzed by different oil inlet pressures to study the effect of oil pressure levels on the dynamic response of the test systems under the single-rotor system and the dual-rotor system. Among them, the single rotor system under a large oil pressure system is mostly periodic and more stable. While under different inlet oil pressure conditions applied in the experiments, the dynamic motion of the dual-rotor bearing system is relatively stable in both the subcritical and supercritical speed regions. However, the oil whirl and oil whip of the dual-rotor system were observed at the critical speed, which causes the system into unstable multiperiodic motions. In general, this paper can give some insight into the dynamic response of the sliding bearing system influenced by different oil pressure levels

Development of an Autophagy-Related Gene Prognostic Model and Nomogram for Estimating Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma Survival

Background. Kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) is a fatal malignancy of the urinary system. Autophagy is implicated in KIRC occurrence and development. Here, we evaluated the prognostic value of autophagy-related genes (ARGs) in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma. Materials and Methods. We analyzed RNA sequencing and clinical KIRC patient data obtained from TCGA and ICGC to develop an ARG prognostic signature. Differentially expressed ARGs were further evaluated by functional assessment and bioinformatic analysis. Next, ARG score was determined in 215 KIRC patients using univariable Cox and LASSO regression analyses. An ARG nomogram was built based on multivariable Cox analysis. The prognosis nomogram model based on the ARG signatures and clinicopathological information was evaluated for discrimination, calibration, and clinical usefulness. Results. A total of 47 differentially expressed ARGs were identified. Of these, 8 candidates that significantly correlated with KIRC overall survival were subjected to LASSO analysis and an ARG score built. Functional enrichment and bioinformatic analysis were used to reveal the differentially expressed ARGs in cancer-related biological processes and pathways. Multivariate Cox analysis was used to integrate the ARG nomogram with the ARG signature and clinicopathological information. The nomogram exhibited proper calibration and discrimination (C-index = 0.75, AUC = >0.7). Decision curve analysis also showed that the nomogram was clinically useful. Conclusions. KIRC patients and doctors could benefit from ARG nomogram use in clinical practice

Cloning, Expression Analysis, and Subcellular Localization of the TLR13 Gene of Golden Pompano (Trachinotus ovatus)

The innate immune response serves as the first line of defense and is initiated through the sensing of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are ancient innate immune receptors involved in pathogen-related molecular pattern recognition, which is essential for immune homeostasis and the prevention of infection. As a member of the TLR11 family, TLR13 has been identified in several teleost fishes, including Larimichthys crocea, Oreochromis niloticus, and Epinephelus coioides. These studies have mainly focused on the function of TLR13 in protecting the body from bacterial or viral invasion. To further investigate the immune function of TLR13, the gene of open reading frame (ORF) sequence of TLR13 (ToTLR13) from golden pompano (Trachinotus ovatus) was cloned and characterized in this study. The expression pattern of ToTLR13 was determined in healthy tissues and infected immune-related tissues in golden pompano by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Moreover, subcellular localization of ToTLR13 in A549 cells was determined. The results showed that the ORF sequence of ToTLR13 was 1 269 bp, encoding 422 amino acids with an isoelectric point of 8.13. ToTLR13 was classified as a hydrophilic protein by hydrophilic prediction. In addition, ToTLR13 contains a 15-amino-acid-coded signal peptide. Conservative structure domain analysis showed that ToTLR13 contains a transmembrane (TM) domain, a leucine-rich repeat (LRR) domain involved in ligand recognition and binding, and a conserved Toll/interleukin-1 receptor (TIR) domain involved in signal transduction, which is in line with the typical characteristics of the TLR family. The TIR domain exists in almost all transmembrane TLRs and its sequence is highly conserved. By establishing the tertiary structure of the conserved domain of TLR13, ToTLR13 has a high spatial structure that overlaps with the LRR and TIR domains of Mus musculus and L. crocea TLR13, which shows that the TLR13 structure and function in different species have a certain similarity. Multiple sequence alignment showed that ToTLR13 had a high similarity with other teleost fish TLR13 (82.52%~84.58%), while with other classes of species, sequence similarity was low (33.30%~46.11%). Furthermore, according to the phylogenetic tree analysis, we found that the relationship between ToTLR13 and other teleost fish TLR13 is relatively close, among which Epinephelus lanceolatus is the closest evolutionary position. While it is distant from other species, mammals are grouped into one branch; Xenopus tropicalis and Cyclina sinensis are in another branch. RT-qPCR results revealed that ToTLR13 was constitutively expressed, with the highest expression level in the gill and spleen, followed by the brain, liver, and kidney, and expression was lower in the heart, head kidney, and muscle. The mRNA expression of TLR13 is slightly different in different fish, which indicates that TLR13 has species specificity and tissue specificity in normal fish tissues. Moreover, TLR13 is generally highly expressed in fish immune-related tissues, suggesting that TLR13 may play different roles in different fish species and plays an important immunomodulatory role. When stimulated by pathogens or viruses, the mRNA expression of TLR13 in immune-related tissues of different fish varies. In this study, after infection with Streptococcus agalactiae and Vibrio alginolyticus, there were significant changes in the mRNA expression of ToTLR13 in different tissues. The ToTLR13 mRNA expression level in the gill suddenly reached a peak at 72 h after infection with S. agalactiae, but showed significant differences at 12 h and 96 h in the V. alginolyticus experimental group. In the spleen, the mRNA expression of ToTLR13 increased in a time-dependent manner after infection with S. agalactiae and V. alginolyticus, peaking at 24 h and 96 h, respectively. The mRNA expression level of ToTLR13 in the liver showed a regular trend of increasing and then decreasing from 0 h to 48 h after S. agalactiae infection and reached a peak at 72 h. In the V. alginolyticus experimental group, the mRNA expression level of ToTLR13 in the liver decreased to below the original level at first and then increased, reaching a peak at 48 h. In the kidney, the ToTLR13 mRNA expression level in the S. agalactiae group reached a double peak at 12 h and 72 h after infection, respectively. ToTLR13 mRNA expression level reached a peak at 6 h after V. alginolyticus infection, and then decreased to the level before challenge. These results suggest that ToTLR13 plays an important role in the immune response against pathogenic bacteria. According to their intracellular localization, TLRs can be divided into two categories: Those expressed on the surface of the cell membrane and those localized in the cytoplasm. In this study, subcellular localization showed that ToTLR13 was localized in the cytoplasm of A549 cells, and this phenomenon was also found in other teleost fish TLR13. The results of this study showed that ToTLR13 might be involved in the innate immunity of golden pompano against pathogenic bacteria, which lays a foundation for studies on the function of TLR13 in teleost

Elevation of matrix metalloproteinase-9 level in cerebrospinal fluid of tick-borne encephalitis patients is associated with IgG extravassation and disease severity.

BACKGROUND: Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), caused by tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), is an infectious disease involving the central nervous system (CNS). The pathogenesis of CNS injury has not been clearly demonstrated. Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and some cytokines, such as interleukin 6 (IL-6), may play important roles in the disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and the pathogenesis of TBE. METHODS: 72 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples were collected from TBE patients in north eastern China. IgG levels in CSF and serum were compared and MMP-9 and IL-6 levels were evaluated by ELISA. The correlation between the elevated MMP-9 levels and IgG extravasation, disease severity, and neuroinflammation was analyzed. RESULTS: Increased concentration of MMP-9 was detected in some of the CSF samples, and the elevation was found to be closely related to CSF TBEV IgG extravasation and enhancement of IL-6 expression. Moreover, elevated levels of MMP-9 were found to be correlated with IL-6 enhancement. Four of the 72 patients, the ones who died, presented with high CSF MMP-9 levels. CONCLUSIONS: In TBE patients, elevated CSF MMP-9 levels were associated with brain inflammatory reaction, disruption of the blood-brain barrier, and disease severity